Jehoahaz: King of Israel (Evil – 17 Years) (13:1-9)

CHAPTER 13

1 In the three-and-twentieth year of Joash the son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, Jehoahaz the son of Jehu began to reign over Israel in Samaria, for seventeen years. 2 And he did evil in the sight of Jehovah, and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin; he departed not from them. 3 And the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hand of Hazael king of Syria, and into the hand of Ben-Hadad the son of Hazael, all those days. 4 (And Jehoahaz besought Jehovah, and Jehovah hearkened to him; for he saw the oppression of Israel, because the king of Syria oppressed them. v.4 God takes into account the slightest movement of the soul towards himself.

5 And Jehovah gave Israel a saviour, so that they went out from under the hand of the Syrians; and the children of Israel dwelt in their tents as before. v.5 This “savior” appears in the person of him son Joash, who also was an evil king yet thru elisha (grace) was turned into an instrument of deliverance. Perhaps even more completely fulfilled in his grandson Jeroboam II – see II Kings 14:25.

6 Nevertheless they departed not from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, who made Israel to sin: they walked therein; and there remained also the Asherah in Samaria.) v.6 they rewarded jehovah for his gracious deliverance by continuing in the sins of jeroboam and ahab.

7 For he had left of the people to Jehoahaz but fifty horsemen, and ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen; for the king of Syria had destroyed them, and had made them like the dust by threshing. v.7 the lord caused his military force to be greatly reduced.

8 And the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, and all that he did, and his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 9 And Jehoahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria; and Joash his son reigned in his stead.

Joash: King of Israel (Evil – 16 Years) (13:10-25)

10 In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah began Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz to reign over Israel in Samaria, for sixteen years. 11 And he did evil in the sight of Jehovah; he departed not from any of the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin: he walked therein. v.11 “he walked therein” – a step further than “not departing” from them. He made the sins of Jeroboam the rule by which he walked. Also, named his son jeroboam.

12 And the rest of the acts of Joash, and all that he did, and his might with which he fought against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 13 And Joash slept with his fathers, and Jeroboam sat upon his throne; and Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. vv.12-13 we have two histories of Joash: (1) vv.10-13, (2) II Kings 14:1-16. Each ends with the same words. Between the two we get elisha and how he was able to bring deliverance for israel out of this evil king. That is something only grace can do.

14 And Elisha fell sick of his sickness in which he died. And Joash the king of Israel came down to him, and wept over his face, and said, My father, my father! the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof! v.14 like with his father, there is a fleeting moment in Joash’s life where he looks to jehovah. Although it may have only been superficial, the lord still dispenses blessing. Elisha the prophet of grace is dying. Joash senses that the only remaining link between Israel and Jehovah is about to be broken.

15 And Elisha said to him, Take bow and arrows. And he took a bow and arrows. 16 And he said to the king of Israel, Put thy hand upon the bow. And he put his hand upon it; and Elisha put his hands upon the king’s hands, vv.16-17 it was Joash’s bow but it was the dying old prophet’s hands that constituted the arrow to be that of the Lord’s Deliverance. Deliverance doesn’t come through the efforts and outward strength of man but by the grace of God.

17 and said, Open the window eastward. And he opened it. And Elisha said, Shoot. And he shot. And he said, An arrow of Jehovah’s deliverance, even an arrow of deliverance from the Syrians; and thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou hast consumed them. v.17 Eastward toward Assyria. This is the general plan but the smiting of the arrows gives the frequency of the victory.

18 And he said, Take the arrows. And he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice, and stayed. 19 And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then wouldest thou have smitten the Syrians till thou hadst consumed them; whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice. vv.18-19 there is no limit to the grace of God (see Gen. 17). We limit it by our unbelief. He knew what the arrow represented but he doubted the goodness that is in the heart of God… And stopped.

20 And Elisha died, and they buried him. And the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year. v.20 pictures the times of the Gentiles when Israel is lo-ammi Jerusalem is trodden down by the Gentiles.

21 And it came to pass as they were burying a man, that behold, they saw the band, and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha; and the man went down, and touched the bones of Elisha, and he revived, and stood upon his feet. v.21 in a future Day, dead (almost buried) Israel will come into relationship with him whom they have pierced and believe in him, and thus receive life again – National Resurrection. Ezek. 37:12, Isa. 26:19. morally, we can apply this to an individual entering through faith into contact with a dead Christ, thus obtaining eternal life and promise of Resurrection at the last day, John 6:54.

22 And Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz. 23 And Jehovah was gracious to them, and had compassion on them, and had respect to them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and he would not destroy them, neither did he cast them from his presence up to that time. 24 And Hazael king of Syria died, and Ben-Hadad his son reigned in his stead. 25 And Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz took again out of the hand of Ben-Hadad the son of Hazael the cities which he had taken out of the hand of Jehoahaz his father in the war. Three times did Joash beat him, and recovered the cities of Israel.